CIVIL CIVIC SOCIETY OPENS FIRST PAGE ON ROMFORD

A view of, and from, Havering showing there is a lot of work still to do

Echoing Dave Ross’s brilliant lyric in the last Community Musical of ‘Hornchurch Has a Theatre of it’s Own’, in the story of the Queen’s Theatre, we can now run parallel with; ‘Romford has a Civic Society of its own’.

Perhaps not the most shattering event of the year on the outside, but it was only formed on Tuesday night. (February 2, 2015).

Already with one victory under its belt, the brain child of former Havering Councillor, Andrew Curtin, became a reality with the declared intention of looking after our town.

It is not a political organisation, but a forward thinking environmental pressure group that has already shown its muscle.

Mention environmental issues and most run for the hills, but do we care enough about the place we live in.

In can be easily summarised by the look and feel of a place depends on which car pedal you engage, the brakes or accelerator.

It does not take the insight of Stephen Hawking to see what is happening to Romford.

Empty shops, rows of fast food establishments, Nail Boutiques and Tanning Bars, all clustering together as if in a protective shield, but more importantly, replacing local retailers who have gone out of business.

Such commercial matters will not be solved by a Civic Society alone, but it can use its influence to polish up the town’s image.

Andrew Curtin

Lead by Andrew and his former colleague, Mike Armstrong, the duo bring a wealth of knowledge of planning and environmental issues to the table.

Any business needs some form of permission to open, be it building or environmental and looking at many parts of Romford’s shopping community, you would be forgiven for thinking it is the formality of the rubber stamp.

We now have a voice and the expertise to provide the tools to try and make the end result more palatable.

Open to all who care for their environment, it is a vehicle that can bring pressure to bear rather than a marching group with arm bands.

Such items that hovered over the table at the first meeting were proposals to move a fast food franchise into the Brewery, or even a whisper of moving the Market to South Street, are all of interest to the new group.

Romford Civic Society is somewhere we can all go to voice an objection or approval to something planned. It is a forum for our voice leaving the red tape brigade to revel in their own twine and knots.

It also bears the legend ‘We care about the where we live.’

Secretary Amanda  McKiernan will be the contact for the Civic Society, on amandamckiernan@hotmail.co.uk or use this blog and it will be passed on.